CB Robinson ending absence, reporting to Texans today

Robinson can’t wait to bust some padsTexans CB to end absence and report today

JOHN MCCLAIN, Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, September 5, 2009

Photo: David J. Phillip, AP

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Dunta Robinson held out hope the Texans would agree not to place the franchise tag on him again next season, but the organization would not agree to do so.

Dunta Robinson held out hope the Texans would agree not to place the franchise tag on him again next season, but the organization would not agree to do so.

Photo: David J. Phillip, AP

CB Robinson ending absence, reporting to Texans today

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The last time cornerback Dunta Robinson returned from a long absence, Texans fans gave him a thunderous ovation that lasted for several minutes.

Now, Robinson isn’t sure what kind of reception he’ll receive next Sunday when he tries to help the Texans defeat the New York Jets in the regular-season opener at Reliant Stadium.

Robinson, the team’s franchise player, will report today, sign his tender for $9.957 million, undergo a physical and practice with his teammates for the first time since last season.

“I don’t know what to expect from the fans,” Robinson said. “They’ve always been great to me. I’ll have to earn their trust on the field with my play. But I want everybody to know I’m so excited to be back that I’m going to feel like a rookie stepping on the field for the first time.”

”I’m excited to have Dunta back,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “He means a great deal to this team, not just because of his play on the field but also because of the leadership he brings to the defense.”

‘Not mad anymore’

Robinson was hoping to sign a long-term contract in February, but he couldn’t reach an agreement. He turned down $23 million guaranteed and blasted general manager Rick Smith for making him the franchise player.

“I’m not mad at anyone anymore,” Robinson said. “I knew this day would come, and I focused on getting ready for it. I put all that behind me, and now I’m ready to play.”

Robinson trained in Newark, N.J., and Sarasota, Fla. Former safety Bill Bradley, a longtime NFL defensive backs coach who also was the defensive coordinator at Baylor, worked with Robinson.

““I tried to stay as busy as I could with my workouts,” Robinson said. “I started at 10 in the morning and didn’t finish until 4 in the afternoon.”

Robinson’s workouts in Florida included going one-on-one with former Jacksonville receiver Matt Jones.

“We got a lot of good work in,” Robinson said. “When I get on the practice field, I want to get as many reps as I can in practice. I’ll play on the regular defense and the scout team defense. I want to do as much as I can to be ready.”

Bringing a presence

Considering how weak the Texans were against the run in preseason, Robinson should be able to help the defense in that area.

“I’ll be ready to play the run because that’s what I do,” he said. “You know my style. I bring a physical presence.”

Returning from an absence because of a contract dispute is much easier than returning from surgery to repair a knee ligament and a torn hamstring as he did last year.

“Oh, yeah, this is peanuts compared to what I faced last year,” Robinson said.